A Feminist Mediatic Discourse Analysis of Gender Role Construction and its Impact on Health Seeking Behavior, Conference on "Pakistan's Population Issues in the 21st Century",

Qadir, A.
October 24-26, 2000, Karachi, Pakistan.

This paper aimed to explore the construction of masculine and feminine identity in the media and how it plays a role on health seeking behavior. The argument therein is that in Pakistani patriarchal society the media in general, and the electronic media in particular reiterate certain patriarchal 'ideal types', which include images of 'ideal women' and 'ideal home'. These images are analyzed in the context of the three-delay model given by Thaddeus and Maine. It is proposed that the three-delay model goes beyond just the issue of maternal mortality and is applicable to all health seeking behavior. This argument is based upon a qualitative reception analysis study conducted among the educated middle class based in urban areas of Lahore and Multan. Therefore it also draws upon the context of television dramas and advertisements as well as their encoding and decoding process. The data is indicative of the fact that if not for the creation of the collective consciousness and construction of gender identity, at least for its reinforcement, media plays an important role. These media images have dire consequences on health in general and reproductive health in particular. The greatest impact is at the community level which is the first and foremost delay. Nonetheless, it is discussed that whether it is the delay in transport or at the health facility, both draw upon the same patriarchal images existent in the 'meta discourse' within Pakistani culture. The author believes that at the present moment this is a major cause of delay in health seeking at all three levels.

Key words: Gender Roles, Health Seeking Behavior, Masculinity, Femininity, Patriarchal Society, Media, Electronic Media, Three-Delays Model, Maternal Mortality, And Reproductive Health.